I Can't Make You Love Me
by TheElejahDiaries
Summary: Elijah is convinced he and Elena cannot be together and he goes away, leaving Elena broken and hurt. Will Elena be able to show him how much he means to her or will Elijah continue believing that Elena must be with a human to be truly happy?
1. Chapter 1

Elena pressed herself up against Elijah, her lips connecting with his in a moment of pure passion. Elena had never felt so right, so sure, about something like she had about Elijah. She knew this was what she wanted, and she could feel he wanted it, too. Elena hoped he was finally ready to give himself over to pleasure. After a few moments of kissing, Elijah pulled away.

"Elena," he breathed, taking her face in his hands, "Elena, I can't. This isn't right."

"Elijah," she reasoned, peering deep into his brown eyes, "just let go. This is so _right _that it hurts. We belong together. I'm not the only one who feels this way – this isn't one-sided."

"I can't," he repeated, lowering his arms and stepping away from Elena. "I told myself this wasn't a mistake I'd make again." He walked out of Elena's house, leaving her standing there alone and empty.

She walked into the living room and sat down on the couch, shocked. She'd been so sure that things would be different this time. This wasn't just another one of her passes at him. This was love and passion and _need. _And he'd walked away. Damn him and his honor. Elena was determined to make him see that he had to stop lying to himself. He'd enjoyed their kisses just as much as she had and she could tell when they were together that he'd take a bullet for her – not that it would kill him, but it was the thought that counted. She thought about him constantly – his hair, his eyes, his smile, his laugh, his kindness, his sorrow, his honesty, his trust – and she assumed he thought about her too. The looks he gave her were more than just friendly glances.

Sighing heavily, Elena walked up to her room to get ready for a shower. It was already nine at night, and she was exhausted. She made her way over to her dresser, but something on her window seat caught her eye. Curiously, she walked over to it and picked it up. An envelope with a single red rose. Dread filled Elena as she opened the letter.

"Elena, my feelings for you are wrong, as are yours for me. I swore when Niklaus and I fought over Katerina that I would never make the same mistake again. Love is a vampire's greatest weakness, and that's exactly what I am, Elena. I'm weak. You've made me think things I haven't thought about for centuries, and that is why I must leave. You're human, Elena, you've got so much life ahead of you and you can't waste it with men who will live for eternity. You need to find someone like you – someone kind, sweet, smart, loving, human. There is nothing I want more than to be with you, but your happiness is more important than my wants. I will never forget you. Always and forever, Elijah."

Elena's legs shook and she sunk down on the window seat, taking the rose in her other hand. He was leaving. She didn't know what to do or say. Should she try and find him before he left – if he wasn't already gone – or should she give him his space and take his advice? Elena knew in that instant that she wasn't going to let Elijah slip away. This was her last chance to show him what they could be together. She set down the letter and rose and hurried out of her room and down the stairs, grabbing her keys as she flew out the door.

She could think of only one place that Elijah would be, so she sped over to the Mikaelsons' mansion. She made it there in record time, all the while hoping that Elijah hadn't left yet. When she pulled in the driveway, he was putting the last of his bags in his car.

"Elijah!" she cried as she stepped out of her car, leaving it running, her headlights illuminating his stunned face. She ran over to him and stopped two feet away. "Don't leave," she begged, feeling tears threatening to break the surface. She held them back determinedly. "Please don't go, Elijah."

"Elena," he said as if he were preparing a speech – and Elena thought he probably _had _run through this in his mind multiple times – "we can't be together. It won't work and you know that. Look at what happened with the Salvatores. You need to be happy, Elena."

Elena let him talk, biting her tongue to keep from screaming at him. "_You _make me happy, Elijah," she said pleadingly, the tears finally spilling over. She stepped closer to him, attempting to wrap her arms around him.

He placed his hands on her upper arms. His tone was firm and cold. "Elena, you need to let me go. I've told you time and time again that we wouldn't – won't – work and I'm not going to let you waste your life on a doomed relationship." He stepped away from her and got into his car.

She watched tearfully and broken as he pulled out of the driveway, leaving her to stand in the beam of her headlights, once again alone. Her knees felt weak, but she couldn't stay here, not with Klaus and his siblings around, vulnerable as she was. She made her way to her car and drove home slowly, focusing on the routine of turning the wheel, braking, and accelerating. She stepped inside her house and found she was the only one home. It was just as well. She didn't feel like being interrogated by Ric or Jeremy about her emotional state. She climbed into her bed fully clothed and cried herself to sleep, unable to look at the letter and the slowly wilting rose.


	2. Chapter 2

_Chapter 2_

Years went and Elena got over Elijah and moved on. She refused to let herself go through life depressed and forever pining, and she knew Elijah wouldn't have wanted that for her anyway. She wasn't one of those girls who stops just because of some guy. She was strong, independent, and brave, and she didn't need a man to know that. The truth was, though, that there had never been another man. She'd finally told Stefan and Damon that she couldn't choose either of them. She loved them both too much to destroy their relationship, so they respected her wishes. Stefan had left town, not that Elena had expected him to stay. He'd told her that it would only ever be her, and she couldn't expect him to stay around her when his feelings weren't reciprocated. Damon, on the other hand, stuck around and they'd become close friends. Elena knew there were still lingering feelings on Damon's side, but he'd never made any advances on her. She wasn't sure if he'd ever find someone good for him, but he was less resolute than Stefan.

Elena never forgot Elijah, despite moving on. She thought of him often, especially at night. When she had dreams, they were almost always about Elijah, most often a replay of the night he'd left Mystic Falls. She'd wake up in the middle of the night feeling exactly as she had on that night. She knew it was only a dream, but the feelings of brokenness and hurt were real. Her roommate at the dorm had long since stopped asking about the nightmares and she now slept through them. Part of Elena wished that she could forget all about Elijah, but try as she might, she couldn't shake him. He'd awakened things in her that she hadn't known she had, and like he'd told her, she'd done the same for him. She understood his motives for leaving completely, but that didn't make her like them. All he wanted was her happiness, but didn't he understand that she thought about him everyday? Every night? Elena often wondered if he thought about her as much as she did him, but she doubted it. Vampires learn to block out memories, forget things more easily than humans. He'd probably pushed her memory aside like it was nothing.

If there was one thing Elena remember more than anything, it was the look on Elijah's face when he'd told her to let him go, that their relationship – if that's what it had been – was doomed. His exterior had been resigned and cold, but his eyes told a tale of pain, loss, and love. He'd felt something for her, just as she had for him, there was no doubt in Elena's mind. His face had been heartbreaking, the agony written across it like the page of a book. In it, she had seen all the previous hurt he'd suffered. A millennium's worth of death, pain, and loss. It had broken her heart almost as much as his leaving did, and her dreams often revolved around it. She'd wake up in tears, moved so deeply by his pain, something she knew a great deal about. In truth, she'd tried to track him down more than once, but just when she thought she was hot on his trail, the lead disappeared and she went back to reality. She didn't expect to ever see him again and she was thinking just that when she received his phone call.

She looked at the screen on her phone, not recognizing the number, but decided to answer it anyway. "Hello?"

"Elena." That voice, smooth, warm, and deep . . . it was something she hadn't expected to hear ever again. It was like her memories had come alive. His voice was exactly the same as she remembered and it was the greatest thing she'd ever heard.

She felt tears spring into her eyes and she was unable to hold them back. "Elijah," she breathed into the phone, her voice shaking with emotion.

"Elena," he said again, letting her name dance on his tongue. "I was hoping to see you. I'm in town for a few days and I . . . I just wanted to see you." Elena got the impression that he'd wanted to say something more, but changed his mind at the last instant.

"Yes, of course," she said tearfully. "The Grill in half an hour?"

"I'll see you there. Goodbye, Elena." His voice was gone and the call was terminated. Elena wiped the tears off her cheeks wondering if she hadn't just gone crazy and was dreaming all this. She doubted it. Even in her wildest dreams, she couldn't have imagined this scenario. He was back.

"So you're a sophomore in college now?" he asked, his hands clasped formally on the table, his back straight against the wall of the booth they sat in.

"A junior," she smiled. They'd finished eating an hour ago, but they couldn't seem to stop talking, even though the topics were trivial and unimportant. Neither of them wanted to delve into the deeper topics just yet. "I'm going for a degree in cryptozoology."

Elijah chuckled lightly. "I would have expected nothing less." His face became serious again. "I'd like to go somewhere more . . . _private _to talk, if that's all right with you."

Elena swallowed, knowing what he wanted to talk about. She wanted to talk about it herself, but she didn't know where to begin without sounding like a pathetic teenaged girl. "That's fine," she heard herself say. "We can go to my house – no one's home. Jeremy's at a friend's for the night and Ric's at the bar getting drunk."

Elijah stood up, offering his hand to Elena, who took it and stood as well. He left a large bill on the table, more than enough to cover what they'd eaten, and escorted her to her vehicle. "I'll see you in a few minutes, then," she confirmed, worry in the back of her mind that he might leave again. He half-smiled and nodded as he got into his car.

They both arrived back at Elena's house within a minute of each other and she unlocked the door to let them in. She led him into the living room where they sat on either end of the couch. The distance between them felt like miles to Elena, but she could handle that after not seeing him for nearly five years. He turned to her and she knew it was time to reopen the wounds.

"Elena," he began, "I can't say that I regret leaving. Look how much you've changed since I last saw you. You've become a woman – a strong, beautiful, independent woman. You've grown so much, physically and emotionally. You're not the same person you were during your junior year of high school. You were so young, so troubled, so confused then, and I just couldn't let myself interfere with your life more than I already had."

Elena let him talk, all the while staring into his endless, brown eyes. When he finished, she spoke up. "I may have changed, Elijah, but I still know what I want. That's one thing that's not changed. I never stopped thinking about you. Five years, and I thought about you everyday. Every night for the past five years I've dreamt about you, and it was always the same thing. I'd wake up after dreaming about the night you left and I'd feel the same as I did then. I felt like my world was crashing down, falling all around me. Then I'd realize that you were already gone, but that never helped. I may have moved on with my life, but I never forgot about you."


	3. Chapter 3

_Chapter 3_

Elijah's expression was unreadable until he finally began to talk again. The disappointment in himself was evident in his features. "I never meant to cause you pain, Elena. My leaving was supposed to have the opposite effect on you. All I've ever wanted is your happiness."

"I told you that night and I'll tell you again. Elijah, you make me happy. _You _make _me happy._" She pointed to him and then herself for extra emphasis. "Stop being so self-righteous," she said almost pleadingly. "Just let your heart decide instead of your mind. You don't have to be so critical about things."

She would have carried on had Elijah remained seated, but he stood up from the couch and adjusted his jacket. "My return was a mistake, Elena, and for that I'm sorry. I'll be on my way." He made for the door, but Elena ran in front of him, blocking his way.

"Elijah, don't do this. You already did this once, don't do it again."

He moved around her and opened the door. "Thank you for your hospitality." He stepped out onto the porch and Elena stood in the doorway trying to figure out what she could say.

"Elijah Mikaelson, don't walk away from me again." He turned to look at her, the commanding tone her voice took on surprising him. By the time he'd fully turned around, she was inches away from him, her lips meeting his.

Never had something felt so right. It was even better than the day he'd left. This kiss was desperate and filled with need and she knew he felt it. He didn't react at first, but when Elena showed no signs of stopping, he began kissing her back, his hands trailing up her arms, one into her hair and one to the small of her back. His end of the kiss was just as passionate as hers. They'd kissed before, yes, but he'd never showed so much enthusiasm. He was always busy being a martyr about it. Finally, she'd gotten him to abandon all pretense, and it was perfect. She was alarmed at first when his lips left hers, but was rewarded with pleasure when he kissed his way down her neck, nipping gently. Her arms wrapped around his waist as she pulled him closer to her.

"Perhaps," he breathed raggedly, "we should relocate."

Elena giggled. They were standing on her porch where any number of curious neighbors could be watching. She nodded and she laced her fingers through his, never breaking contact with him as they went back inside.

Elijah didn't want to rush into things too quickly, so he turned on her stereo, surprised to hear "I Can't Make You Love Me" by Bon Iver issue from the speakers. He hadn't thought she'd like that kind of music. He looked at her with a small, questioning smile. "Really?" he asked.

"There's a lot of things you don't know about me," was her answer as he took her in his arms. They swayed back and forth in the living room, her head resting on his chest, his arms around her back.

When the song finished, he kissed her head lovingly. "I'm sorry," he whispered into her hair. "For everything."

She lifted her head, her brown eyes meeting his. "No more apologizing," she said simply and laid her head back on his chest. He ran his fingers through her hair soothingly as "Holocene" came on. "Bon Iver is my favorite band," she said suddenly.

"What?" he asked, confused.

"My favorite color is blue, I love the smell of rain, I can recite _Moulin Rouge _and _The Notebook, _and I love when people play with my hair." Elijah chuckled, as he was doing just that.

Elijah had never seen _The Notebook, _but _Moulin Rouge _happened to be one of his favorite movies. "The greatest thing you'll ever learn," he said as he smiled down at her, "is just to love and be loved in return."

"Where'd you hear that?" laughed Elena. "Because you should really follow that advice."

"You're absolutely right," he murmured. "Elena, I love you. I loved you long before I left, and I never stopped thinking about you after I did. Everyday was torture, being so far away from you. I couldn't have lived with myself, though, if I hadn't given you a chance to have a normal, vampire-free life. Now that you've had five years, I think I've waited long enough to tell you how in love with you I am."

"Elijah," said Elena as "Skinny Love" began playing – her favorite song; it figured – "I've waited so long to hear that." Tears fell from her eyes without warning and he wiped them away with the pad of his thumb. He leaned down and kissed her lips and then held her close to him as the music played in the background. It was after eleven o'clock already and Elena stifled a yawn.

"Bed," said Elijah, not allowing for argument. He took her in his arms and carried her up the stairs and into her room. He set her gently on the bed, unsure if she wanted him to leave so she could change. He decided it would be better if he stepped out, so he shut her door behind him. Moments later, it reopened and Elena stood before him in nothing but her undergarments.

"Elijah, I want you," she breathed.

He let her lead him back into the room, to the bed. She kissed him tenderly before she began removing his jacket, tie, and and shirt. When she reached the zipper of his pants, he caught her hands in his. Her eyes looked into his, worried that he wouldn't go through with it. "You're sure this is what you want?" he asked her.

"This is what I've wanted for five years, Elijah. I love you."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: **Thanks for all the reviews so far!

_Chapter 4_

When Elijah woke up, Elena was still sleeping and he didn't want to disturb her so he stepped into his pants, buttoned up his shirt, and made his way downstairs to the kitchen. He was looking through the cabinets in an attempt to find something to make Elena for breakfast when he heard someone enter the room. He spun around, taken off guard, to see Jeremy standing in the doorway looking shocked and afraid. He backed out of the kitchen slowly and Elijah wasn't sure what to do.

"Jeremy," he said quietly, "Jeremy, listen. I'm not here to hurt anyone. Elena knows I'm here."

Jeremy continued backing out into the entryway, and Elijah was certain he would run up the stairs. When he reached the first step he broke into a run and called out for Elena. Elijah heard her jump out of bed and by the time Jeremy reached the top of the stairs, her door flung open. Elijah stood at the bottom of the stairs watching the brother and sister with dismay. He and Elena had anticipated more time to prepare Jeremy for their relationship.

"Elena, what's he doing here?" Jeremy asked frantically.

Elena's eyes were wide, but her hair looked as though she'd stuck her finger in a light socket. Elijah had intended to let her sleep as long as she wanted, but Jeremy had seen to that. Elena looked at Elijah meaningfully, as if to apologize for her brother's behavior.

"Jer, you and I need to talk," she said, attempting to calm her brother.

"I don't think there's much time to _talk, _Elena. I came home to find a freaking Original in our kitchen!"

Elena sighed and bit back a laugh. She looked back to Elijah who was still standing at the bottom of the stairs unsure of what to do. He'd never been in this position before. "Elijah, can you give Jeremy and me a little . . ." She trailed off awkwardly, but Elijah knew what she meant.

"Of course," he said obligingly. He turned and stepped out of the door and moved to sit on Elena's porch swing. He could only hear a muffled rumbling of voices from out here – not enough to actually make out what they were saying, but judging by the increased volume of one of the voices, Jeremy wasn't taking it well.

Half an hour later, the front door opened and Jeremy came storming outside, and, without even a glance at Elijah, he got in his car and sped away. Elijah knew Elena was upset because she hadn't come out to the porch yet. He walked cautiously through the still-open door and followed the sound of tears. He found her sitting on her bed, hugging her knees to her chest. She looked up at him with tear-filled eyes and attempted a smile, but it looked like more of a grimace. Elijah hurried over to her and pulled her into his arms, where she sobbed against his shirt.

"He said he hated me," she whispered through her tears. Elijah stroked her hair and kissed the top of her head lightly.

"He doesn't hate you," he assured her.

"I know, but he told me he doesn't want anything to do with me if I'm still 'screwing around with vampires'."

"He'll come around, love. You mean too much to him."

Elena shook her head against Elijah's hard, muscled chest. "He was so mad, Elijah. I've never seen him this mad."

Elijah didn't know what to say to make it better, so he remained silent as he rocked her back and forth, letting her cry into his shirt. Jeremy would come around – he had to. Elijah couldn't live with himself if he was making Elena choose between him and her family. If worse came to worse, he would go away. He knew from experience that family was too important and too precious to push away. For the time being, he would stay with her and hope with every fiber of his being that Jeremy would understand.

Eventually Elena stopped crying. She straightened up and wiped her cheeks.

"I'm sorry," she said sheepishly.

"You don't have to apologize, Elena," said Elijah, kissing her forehead.

She leaned into him, closing her eyes. He settled back against her headboard and let her snuggle into the side of his body. He pulled the covers over her and she soon fell asleep again. Elijah couldn't blame her. She'd been awoken suddenly, and after all the tears she'd shed, she was bound to be tired. He played with the tips of her hair as she slept, but he soon found himself drifting off into a dreamless sleep.

Elena's sleep, on the other hand, was fraught with terrifying dream sequences in which Jeremy staked Elijah in front of her. She was helpless to stop him – all she could do was collapse to the floor in horror and heart-wrenching sorrow for the man she loved. It wasn't a dream in which Elena knew she was sleeping and that everything would be fine when she woke up; on the contrary, everything was so vivid and realistic that when she did wake up with Elijah sleeping next to her, her fingers skittered across his chest frantically, searching for a stake that wasn't there.

Elijah woke with a start to find Elena nearly tearing off his shirt, her eyes wide and manic. What she was doing, he had no clue, but he had to assume she'd had some sort of nightmare.

"Elena," he soothed as he took her shaking hands in his. "Elena, stop. It was just a dream."

"It was so real!" she cried, her expression losing its manic look.

"It's okay, love," he said quietly, stroking her hair. "Tell me what happened."

She sighed and closed her eyes for a moment to calm herself. "Everything was so real. Jeremy was holding you against the wall somehow and he staked you with the silver dagger and there was nothing I could do. I was glued to the spot. I couldn't save you." Her voice broke on the last sentence and Elijah held her close.

"It was only a dream," he whispered.

Vaguely, Elijah wondered if it was only just the start.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: **Sorry it took so long to update!

* * *

_Chapter 5_

Jeremy was furious as he drove around Mystic Falls, the morning sun making him squint. He had already decided what he was going to do, but he was having trouble actually executing it – if he could even do it. He needed help and he knew it. He picked up his phone and dialed a number he had long since memorized.

"Hello?"

"Stefan, I need your help."

"Who is this? Jeremy?" Stefan asked incredulously.

"Elijah's back, and . . . Jesus, Stefan, you just need to get here."

"I'm on my way, Jeremy. I'll be there as soon as possible."

Jeremy set his phone in the cupholder of his vehicle, feeling nervous yet pleased with himself. Of course he hadn't elaborated as to why Elijah was here because he knew Stefan would think the worst – that he was here to harm Elena. Despite what happened between Stefan and Elena, Jeremy knew that Stefan would always have feelings for her, and at this point, Jeremy wasn't above manipulating those feelings. Unsure of where Stefan was currently living, Jeremy didn't know how long it would take him to get to Mystic Falls, but he hoped it was soon. He also hoped that, in the long run, Elena would understand why he did the things he was going to do.

* * *

When Elena woke up, she felt much better, lying in Elijah's arms as she was. He was still sleeping, so she crept downstairs quietly, not wanting to wake him up. Elena was sure it was exhausting dealing with all the messes and conflicts that came with being her boyfriend. He deserved to sleep as long as he wanted. Apparently, that wasn't very long though, because several minutes after Elena left the bed, Elijah woke up, his arms empty. He walked down the stairs to find Elena curled up on her sofa, reading a ratty copy of _Wuthering Heights. _

"Evening," he murmured, startling her. He'd been virtually silent coming downstairs and Elena had been so engrossed in the book that she hadn't noticed his presence over her shoulder.

Her hand flew to her chest as she laughed breathlessly. "You scared the crap out of me! And 'evening'? What time is it?" Her eyes searched the room for a clock, but there were none.

"It's a little after seven," Elijah chuckled, moving around to the front of the couch and sitting down next to Elena.

"We wasted a whole day!" she giggled.

"No day is wasted when I'm with you," smiled Elijah, pressing his lips to Elena's forehead. She leaned into him, her arms wrapping around his body.

* * *

Jeremy was sitting in The Grill at four o'clock when his phone rang, the caller ID showing Stefan's number. Hurriedly, he picked up the phone, covering his other ear to drown out the noise of the restaurant.

"I'm here, Jeremy," said Stefan anxiously. "Where are you?"

"I'm at The Grill, by the pool table," replied Jeremy. "See you in a bit."

"Bye," was all Stefan said.

Still feeling no guilt as his plan unfolded, Jeremy could tell Stefan was on edge. Elijah had always put him on his guard, and not just because Elena had feelings for him. Elijah was an Original, and therefore far more dangerous than he or Damon could ever be. Several minutes later, Stefan walked into The Grill and Jeremy waved him over.

"I have just one question," Stefan said before Jeremy could even open his mouth.

"Shoot," Jeremy said indifferently.

"Why did you call me? Damon _lives _here. Wouldn't it just be easier to have him get Elijah out of here?"

"Damon's out of town at the moment, doing what, I don't know. And I trust you, whereas Damon does whatever he wants without listening to reason. I've never trusted him, and I know you'll do all you can to save Elena."

Stefan nodded. "And what is it exactly, Jeremy, that you want me to do?"

* * *

"And what does the human want for supper?" asked Elijah as he opened Elena's refrigerator while she sat at the kitchen island watching him intently.

"What does the vampire know how to make?" she countered.

"The vampire can make you a five-course dinner, if you so desire," he replied, his back still turned to her as he eyed the ingredients he had handy.

"How about something simple?" she suggested, enjoying this sarcastic side of Elijah.

"I think I saw a can of moist dog food for Jeremy's puppy in the cupboard this morning."

"Ass," laughed Elena. "I was thinking more like spaghetti."

"Oh!" said Elijah, shooting her a sly smile over his shoulder. "Well, why didn't you say so, love?"

* * *

Elijah was preparing Elena's dinner when everything happened.

He had just put the noodles in a pot of boiling water when Elena's front door burst open and Jeremy stormed in, his expression dark and violent. A flash of something blew past him and collided with Elijah, sending the pot flying, thankfully, into the sink. When the vampires stopped moving, Elena was finally able to make out who it was.

"_Stefan_?" she gasped, her eyes wide. "Jeremy, why is he here? What are you doing?"

As Elena cried out, Stefan pinned Elijah's arms behind his body, Stefan's back against the wall. Jeremy rushed forward, and Elena saw the stake in his hand. She screamed and jumped in front of Elijah as Jeremy's hand came down, the sharpened piece of wood driving into Elena's back and she shielded Elijah's body with her own.

"Elena!" called Elijah, wrestling his arms, with slight difficulty, out of Stefan's grasp. He caught her as she fell to the floor. Already, there was so much blood. Elijah knew better than to remove the stake, so he bit into his wrist and held it to Elena's lips. Struggling for breath, she latched onto the punctures and sucked, his blood healing her. Almost immediately, the bleeding stopped and Elijah gingerly pulled the stake from her back. She winced slightly as she drank, and Elijah felt the wound close. Ignoring Stefan and Jeremy completely, Elijah got up, cradling Elena in his arms, and carried her to the sofa.

"Don't you dare think I'm going to just sit here," she hissed at Elijah, knowing full well Stefan was listening in, "because I'm going to go back in there and I'm going to kill them both!"

"Elena, please. I can take care of myself," pleaded Elijah. He wanted her to stay here, out of harm's way.

"Elijah! If I wouldn't have thrown myself in front of you, you'd be dead right now!"

Elijah watched her silently for a moment from the ottoman he sat on. She had her arms crossed, impassive. He sighed.

"Thank you, my love," he whispered, kissing her delicately. He then stood, taking her hand in his as they walked back into the kitchen.

Stefan straightened when they came back into the room, but Jeremy didn't move, his expression horrified.

"What the hell was that?" snarled Elena. Stefan had never seen her so irate. The saying "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned" came to mind, and boy, if it wasn't true. "Are you two going to stand there like idiots or are you going to answer me?"

"Elena . . .," muttered Elijah in an effort to get her to calm down.

She shot him a look that silenced him immediately.

"Elena, I'm so sorry," Jeremy said in an emotional huff. He turned away from her, his hand resting on the counter. "Jesus Christ, I just stabbed my own sister!"

"And I'm all better now, Jeremy, so don't think you're going to get out of this by playing the victim card. What the hell were you thinking?"

"It's my fault, Elena," Stefan piped up. "Jeremy called me and said Elijah was back, and I assumed the worst. I thought he was here to hurt you, so I was doing what I could to protect you."

"Stefan, I've managed five years by myself without a guardian. You should know better than to think that I'm helpless. In my lifetime, I've been stabbed, drained, and killed. I can take care of myself now. Elijah happens to be here because I love him and he loves me. He's not here to _kill _me."

"And I should've realized that from the beginning. I'm sorry, to the both of you," said Stefan, making eye contact with Elijah, who said nothing in return, but nodded his head in acknowledgment. Stefan awkwardly stepped out of the kitchen and out the front door, shutting it on his way. Jeremy made to follow him, but Elena called him back.

"Oh, you are _not _getting off that easily. I don't care if you have some screwed up aversion to vampires, but what would possess you to try and murder the man I love?" Elena asked, her tone almost pleading, but her face remaining stony.

"He's an Original, Elena! He tried killing you when he was here last, and you've got this creepy obsession with him!"

"_Obsession? _Jeremy, you're twenty. You've had your share of romances. Surely you know the difference between obsession and love, and what I feel for Elijah is like love multiplied by infinity! I intend on spending the rest of my life with him, and I'll be damned if I spend my life protecting him from you."

"How can you just forgive everything he's done to you?"

"How can I be close friends with Damon? Damon came closer to killing me than Elijah ever did! How can I still stand to be in the same room with Stefan? After everything he did to me because of Klaus! Elijah was the only person around that let me make my own decisions!"

Jeremy sighed. He looked past Elena to the kitchen table where Elijah was seated, watching Elena and Jeremy have it out. "You swear that you will never do anything to hurt her, that you'll never let any harm come to her, that you'll love her more than anything else in this world?"

"Of course, Jeremy. Your sister means _everything _to me."

"Don't consider this some kind of effed-up friendship because I will _always _be watching. Elena's my sister and I would do anything for her. I expect you to do the same."

Elijah bowed his head in consent to Jeremy's terms.

Jeremy pushed off from the counter he'd been leaning against. "Sorry, 'Lena," he muttered as he left the house.

The front door closed and Elijah and Elena were left alone. Elena turned slowly to face Elijah.

She let out a heavy sigh, looking at Elijah with watery eyes. He stood up from his seat and wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight, as her arms worked their way around his waist. When they pulled away, Elena refused to let the tears fall. She was stronger now, and she wanted to show him that. His hand caressed her cheek, his other hand still on the small of her back. For once, Elena felt like everything was going to be okay, if not better.


End file.
